Toyota Corolla gets stability control

Toyota has caught up with its rivals by offering stability control on the Corolla small car. But the technology is optional on the most popular models. By RICHARD BLACKBURN.

14 September 2010Richard Blackburn

Toyota Corolla

Australia has belatedly made stability control technology available on its best-selling Corolla small car.

The technology, which can intervene to prevent a car skidding out of control, is now available on all the leading small cars in Australia.

But Toyota has followed the lead of rivals Mazda, Honda and Ford by making the technology optional on cheaper models, which means thousands of Corollas will be ordered without the system.

Only 15 per cent of new Corollas sold are expected to have standard stability control. Australian customers are also reluctant to pay extra for the technology. Mazda says that only 12 per cent of buyers pay for the safety pack on its Mazda3 Neo small car.

Subaru, Hyundai, Holden and Mitsubishi have stability control as standard on all models in their respective Impreza, i30, Astra and Lancer small cars.

Stability control, which has been described by US safety authorities as the greatest safety breakthrough since the seatbelt, is rapidly becoming standard equipment on larger cars and four-wheel-drives, while small city cars are also being fitted with the technology.

Related Content

The locally produced Holden Commodore, Toyota Aurion and Toyota Camry have the equipment standard across their range, while the Ford Falcon has it on all petrol models.

has been playing catch-up with its rivals since it launched the Corolla without the technology in the middle of 2007. The local operation is one of only a handful of markets in the world to have a 1.8-litre version of the Corolla and that meant the stability control system had to be specially calibrated for Australian conditions.

Toyota?s top-selling light car, the Yaris, is still 12 months away from having the technology available. Some of its main rivals already have stability control.

Stability control is now standard on Corolla Conquest hatch and sedan, Levin ZR hatch and Ultima sedan. The technology is part of an optional $1500 safety pack on Corolla Ascent hatch and sedan, and Levin SX hatch. The safety pack also includes side and curtain airbags, as well as a knee airbag.

Drive Comments

0 Comments

Facebook Comments

Share

Width

Profile

Rim

The size of your tyre is located on the sidewall of your tyre.It will be similar to the sample below.